Her Words in Silence
by DisTofuIshKawaii
Summary: Cam is a jerk who hates girls ever since he was a little boy. Then Lillian moves into his rival town and of course, he hates her, too. Their first meeting, Cam finds out that Lillian is mute so she can't talk. However, there is something different and special about her. Will Cam change his opinion about girls and fall for Lillian? What if Lillian likes someone else?
1. Chapter 1 A Mute Girl

_**Author's Notes:** I've been randomly coming up with a lot of fanfictions for Harvest Moon. So I am very excited to begin this story! I know the first chapter is a bit trashy but I will try my best to make it more interesting! :D Yaay~ Please review and tell me what you think!_

* * *

Cam hated girls ever since he was little. He thought they were just a bunch of weaklings that only knew how to cry. Back in elementary school, he would bully the girls he disliked by grabbing their hair and spilled food on their new outfit. What they always did was cried to the teachers and exaggerated their pain. Because of that, Cam's mother received many complaints from the teachers and parents. Yet, every time she would calmly caressed her child in her arms and smiled at him.

"Why do you bully girls, Cam?" His mother once asked.

"Girls are weak. I don't like them," To which Cam would reply.

"Then do you not like me? I was once a girl just like them."

"You are not the same as them, mother! You are brave just like a super hero!"

His mother giggled and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you, Cam," His mother said. She smiled as she ran her finger through his hair. "Girls are not weak. They might look like a fragile little thing outside but they are very brave and strong inside. You will understand that when you grow older."

"No way! Girls are weak and ugly inside and out!" Cam argued.

"Just believe me, Cam. You will find that one girl that change the way you are thinking."

Cam nodded only to satisfy his mother. He still doubted that any girl would ever change his opinion. Soon, a new female student was transferred to Cam's school. He hated her at first sight. Her brown hair was always messy and her clothes were dirtied. During recess, he took his chance to grab a girl's pony tail and pulled it until she fell down. Then that girl would butt into his business.

"Why are you pulling her hair?! That is not nice!" That girl yelled.

"So? I like doing it!" Cam replied then pushed that girl's shoulder. Immediately, she would bite him, making him cried.

Every since that incident, Cam's target was only that girl. He tripped her and pushed her around. One time, he tore her family drawing that she spent so much time on into two pieces. All of that but she never cried. Not even once.

After Cam graduated from elementary school, his mother passed away in a car crash. He was sent to Bluebell where he settled in with Howard and his daughter, Laney. Cam couldn't stand that blonde girl and her cocky personality but he managed to endure it all for her father's sake. He became best friend with Ash who happened to be the same age as him. A few years later, Cam created his own garden in front of Howard's Café and opened a small flower shop. His life continued as it was until someone joined the twin town.

During the 1st of Summer morning, Ash came by his best friend's shop and rested himself on the flower stand.

"Dude, I heard a girl just moved into Konoha a few days ago," Ash announced.

"I could care less," Cam replied.

"You're Cam after all."

From a distance, the two best friends saw a figure of a girl wearing a Konoha outfit running toward the flower shop. Her clothes were covered with dirt from working in her field. She looked nervous since the villagers were staring at her.

"I think that's the new comer," Ash mumbled.

The girl stumbled upon Cam's shop and breathed heavily. From a closer look, her brown hair was tied in a high pony tail and her light blue eyes were somewhat mysterious. Though, bandages were all over her dirty face.

"What do you want?" Cam barked. He felt irritated just by looking at this girl or just having her near him.

She put her finger on the small bag of Red Rose seed and smiled at Cam.

"You want to buy the seeds?"

The girl nodded.

"Do you not have a mouth? Talk!" Cam snapped. "How many do you want?"

She frowned then wrote something on her notepad.

"**_2 please_**."

Cam studied the farmer for a bit and sighed.

"The total is two hundred and forty gold," Cam replied.

She handed him the amount of gold needed with a smile. She began writing something in her notepad again and handed it to Cam. Then she waved the boys goodbye.

"Do you know what's wrong with her?" Ash asked. He watched the girl's figure disappeared in the distance.

Cam opened the note that said, "**_I'm sorry. I'm a muted girl but thank you. I'll be sure to take good care of the flowers._**"

"So she can't talk?" Ash confirmed.

"Seems like it. Girls are so useless," Cam said as he tossed the note into the trash can.


	2. Chapter 2 Small Calf

Lillian woke up from a lot of shouting in front of her house. She grabbed her writing materials and opened the door to find four young residents of Konoha smiling at her: Kana, Hiro, Nori, and Reina.

"Good morning, Lillian! Wanna go have breakfast at Yun's Shop with us?" Nori asked.

The farmer nodded and wrote Nori a note.

"**_Good morning. Give me a moment to get ready. I'll be right back._**"

"Okay! We'll wait for you!" Nori replied.

After a few moments, Lillian walked out in her Konoha outfit and marched to Yun's shop with her friends. It was just another usual sunny day in the twin town. Birds were singing their songs as the villagers' laughter became the choruses. Those were such wonderful and delightful sounds.

"Welcome children! What would you like today?" Yun chirped behind her counter.

"The Soba Dumplings are the best food in the summer! Would you like to order that guys?" Nori asked.

Everyone happily nodded.

"Five Soba Dumplings, please!"

"Five Soba Dumplings coming right up! Please find a table for your group!" Yun said before disappearing into the kitchen.

The group found a table with five seats nearby the window. The view outside was beautiful to watch. The trees swayed with the wind as their pink leaves swirled to the movement of the breeze. The sun shone down on the village, glittered the clear water of the river by the bridge.

"So, Lillian, how is it living in Konoha? Are you comfortable here?" Reina asked.

Lillian nodded with a smile.

"Hey hey Lillian! Isn't it irritating that you can't talk? You have to carry the notepad an-' Hiro joined.

"Shut up! Don't even talk!" Reina yelled as she gave Hiro a punch on his cheek.

"Ow ow ow!"

"Ouch. That sounds like it hurts a lot," Kana said.

Before Lillian could help Hiro, Reina pulled her away.

"Don't mind him. He deserves it."

The muted girl began writing in her notepad.

"**_But Hiro is hurt!_**"

"Don't worry! This happens all the time!" Nori said. "Hiro is a strong young man. He'll be fine in a few days or so."

Lillian nodded feeling a bit of guilt and pity for her friend. Soon enough, the Soba Dumplings were served. Everyone enjoyed their delicious meal except for Hiro, who was having a hard time chewing.

After finishing their breakfast, the friends waved each other goodbye and headed in different directions. Lillian went back to her farm to water the seeds she planted yesterday. She stared into the small empty barn then to her quiet house and sighed_. It feels a little lonely here_, she thought, _maybe I should make another trip to Bluebell to get a calf_. With that thought in her head, she began to head toward Jessica's shop.

* * *

"Oh! Wel—come... to Jessica's shop…." Jessica greeted with exuberance until she saw Lillian's face. "You're the new girl from Konoha, aren't you…?"

Lillian nodded. She pulled out her notepad and wrote something down for Jessica.

"**_May I buy a calf from you, please?_**"

"U-uhh okay… I'll be right back…" Jessica replied. She felt nervous and awkward to have a person from her rival town here. To add to that awkwardness, the girl could only communicate by writing on a paper. She went to the back of her shop to get the baby livestock for her customer.

"A new customer?" Ash asked. He was outside watching his beloved animals.

"Y-yeah… she's the new girl from Konoha, though. I wonder why she didn't choose to live in Bluebell if she wanted to raise a livestock."

"What did she want to buy?"

"Just a calf. Can you get it for me?" Jessica replied.

Ash nodded and went inside the barn. A few minutes later, he walked out with a small calf that had black spots all over its body. He followed his mother to the counter, where the girl was waiting.

"That would be fifteen-hundred gold," Ash said. The girl immediately smiled brightly and nodded as she handed him the amount of gold.

She gave him a piece of paper that said, "**_Thank you so much! I'll take good care of it._**"

Even though this girl was from Konoha, seeing her smile just put Jessica more at ease than before.

"What's your name?" Jessica asked.

"**_My name is Lillian_**," the girl handed the shop's owner a note.

"Lillian, what name will you give your new calf?"

The girl smiled bright once more time then gave Jessica a note.

"**_I'll name it Beef!_**"

"You want to name it Beef…? T-that's a unique name…" Jessica stammered. Out of all names the girl had to use _that_. She was such a mysterious person.

Ash chuckled and asked, "Will you be okay to walk your calf all the way to Konoha? Do you want me to help you?"

Lillian was lost in thought for a second then she shook her head. Again, a smile appeared on her face as she gave Ash another note.

"_**I'm fine. Thank you.**_"

"Even though you're from Konoha, my rival town, I cannot allow you go alone to the mountain with a small calf. It's dangerous. I'll have someone go with you," Jessica demanded. She turned to her son and gestured her head to the direction of Lillian.

"Okay, I'll walk with you up to Mountaintop," Ash replied.

Suddenly, a little girl with two long pony tails tackled Ash.

"Ash can't go! Cheryl wants Ash to play with her!" the little girl cried.

"Now now, Cheryl. Let your brother escort our customer," Jessica said.

"No! Cheryl wants Ash to stay here! He has to play with Cheryl!"

Ash let out a sigh and carried his little sister on his shoulder.

"I'll go ask Cam to help. Come with me, Lillian," Ash requested.

Lillian followed Ash to the flower shop where a blonde boy was neatly organizing his flowers. He had a scary looking face the moment he saw her.

"No. Don't even ask me to help you with anything," Cam warned.

"Oh c'mon! Don't be such a jerk and help me out," Ash begged.

"What?"

"Can you escort this girl to the mountaintop? My mom said it's dangerous for her to go alone."

Cam widened his eyes and stared at Lillian in disgust.

"Go ask someone else," He replied.

"They're busy! You don't even have any customer so might as well as help her."

"No. I refuse to be near such thing."

Lillian tucked on Ash's sleeves and shook her head. She handed him a piece of paper with a small smile.

"**_It's okay. I can walk back. Thank you for caring._**"

With that, the farmer began pushing the small calf toward Bluebell Low Mountain. She was actually glad that the flower seller denied to escort her back. He would have turned the atmosphere into a scary silence. Besides, there was nothing dangerous about going to the mountaintop, just a bunch of small wild animals hanging around.

"You know… in this hot summer, it's pretty cold to be near you," Ash said.

"Cam is evil!" Cheryl added.

"He's lack of soul."

"Cam is so heartless and cruel!"

Cam gave the little girl a dead glare, making her retreated back to her hole of shame. Girls like Cheryl only increased his desire to be far away from girls. He disliked how much of a brat she was. To make her personality worse, Ash spoiled her with everything she wanted. It irritated him whenever his best friend did that.

"It's all your fault that Ash has to ask me to do it!" Cam yelled.

"Ashh! Cam is yelling at Cheryl!" Cheryl cried.

"Hey! She's a kid. Don't be so mean to her!" Ash argued. He sighed and turned his head to where Lillian had disappeared. "I hope she don't meet any wild boar or things might get dangerous."

Cam slammed his hand on the stand and shot Cheryl one last dead glare.

"Cheryl! If only Ash didn't spoil you this much! I wouldn't be in this situation!" He yelled before dashing toward the mountain.

"Let's go play, big brother!" Cheryl demanded.

"Alright!"

* * *

All because of that little Cheryl's and Ash's fault, he had to go help that mute girl. Cam couldn't even believe it that he had decided to help a girl for the first time ever. This was just as ridiculous as Ash spoiling his sister. It drove Cam nuts just thinking about this. He continued to follow the pathway that led to the mountaintop in searching for that girl. He stopped by the Bluebell Mid-Mountain when he found a little calf eating grass nearby the tree. There was no sight of its owner anywhere. Suddenly, the bushes moved violently with the sound of dried leaves cracking. Cam slowly backed away from the area, afraid of something dangerous might happened. Then a girl burst out of the bushes with scratches all over her face. She was holding a weak dog in her arms. Its fur was covered with mud and it let out a long whine. Cam stared at her without even saying anything. Lillian took out her notepad and pencils and began writing down her thought. She gave the note to Cam.

"**_What are you doing here?_**"

"Because of your uselessness, Ash and Cheryl forced me to come get you," Cam answered.

"**_You can go back. I'm safe._**" Lillian handed him another note.

"If I do, they're going to criticize me again."

The girl sighed and turned back to her calf, signaling the animal to come with her. Cam walked by her side, creating an awkward silence. Lillian stopped her movement and wrote something on the notepad to give to Cam.

"**_I overhear this dog whining when I walk by here so I went to save it. It must be hungry for days._**" The note said.

"Why do you need to tell me that?" Cam asked.

She paused then gave him another note.

"**_Just in case you were curious._**"

Cam ignored her until they reach the Mountaintop. Lillian waved him goodbye and handed him her final note for the day.

"**_Thank you for escorting me! My name is Lillian if you didn't know!_**"

Cam stared at her smiling face. It irritated him.

"Keep in mind that you're from Konoha which means you are our rival. So you are not welcome in Bluebell, don't come over anymore," Cam warned. He turned his back to her and walked back to his village, leaving Lillian's smile died down.


	3. Chapter 3 Just for Beef!

_**Author's Notes:** Hello! Thank you so much for follow and favorite this story! You guys are the best c: Anyways, these few beginning chapters are just some developments with Lillian's and the other villagers' relationships. Dramas or romantic moments will appear in the next chapter or so. Stay tune! :D_

* * *

Lillian poured a can of dog food that she bought from Raul's shop into a plastic bowl. The dog immediately chomped down the food as it wagged its tail. She smiled then exited her house to check on her new calf. She paused in front of the barn when something crossed her mind. _Dammit! I forgot to buy fodder for Beef_, she thought, _I guess she can eat grass for today_. _I might have to go back to Bluebell tomorrow even though he warned me not go there. _She petted the calf and frowned. _Why is he so mean? I don't like him._ The dog ran out of the house and licked her foot. She smiled at him as she ruffled his dirty fur.

"Hey! Lillian! What cha doing there?" Nori shouted from a distance. She also brought friends from this morning with her.

They ran up to Lillian and stared at the calf.

"Look at how chubby and adorable that little cow is!" Nori squealed. She ran up to the little livestock and squished its face.

"Who's this little guy?" Kana asked as he bent down to pet the dog.

Lillian tore a paper from her notepad and gave it to Kana.

"**_I found him on the way to Konoha from Bluebell._**"

"I see. He's cute."

"So? What did you name your new calf?" Reina asked, gazing at the barn.

"**_I named her Beef_**," Lillian's note said.

Her friends stared at her in disbelieved.

"Out of all the names you could have picked, you name it _Beef_?" Hiro asked.

Lillian happily nodded and smiled.

"That is one gruesome name for a cow," Kana said.

"Nori! You're going to smash Beef if you keep on squeezing her like that!" Reina yelled.

"**_I'm going to give this dog a bath. Be right back._**" Lillian handed Kana a note.

"I'll help you since I'm good with animals," Kana insisted.

"Ohhh~ Having some alone time?" Hiro grinned.

"Shut up."

Kana followed the farmer inside her house and to her bathroom. She put the dog inside the bath tub filled with warm water. Surprisingly, the dog obediently let his new owner washed him without struggling. After the bath was done, the dog's fur showed its true color which was white with brown spots. He wagged his tail and ran around the house.

"Woah! Look at that dog! He's so cute now that he's all clean!" Reina said. "Did you think up of a name for him?"

Lillian nodded and gave Reina a piece of paper.

"**_His name is Bacon!_**"

"You love to name animals those things don't cha?"

Lillian smiled. She felt so grateful to have friends like this when she moved here. Honestly, she had thought that no one would want to be friend with her because she was mute. It wouldn't be a surprise if she became a loner here but her prediction was totally opposite. The villagers were friendly with their warming smiles, except for _that guy_.

"So~ Kana, when are you going to hit on Lillian? Anytime soon?~" Hiro said with a grin.

Lillian blushed when Hiro burst out that question. Her heart was beating fast and she was eager to know Kana's answer. It was not like she had a crush on him or anything. She just wanted to know if there was a guy who would be interest in her even if she was mute.

"Don't get the wrong idea. Lillian is just a friend. Sorry but I don't want to date a mute girl," Kana replied.

His answer made Lillian's heart dropped. She frowned and casted her gaze on the ground.

"You retard!" Reina yelled. She landed a kick into Kana's stomach, sending him to the solid surface of the earth. "Don't say that in front of a girl!"

"Ouch! That gotta hurt a lot!" Hiro said.

"You too, dumbo!" Reina punched him square in the face.

Lillian helped Kana up and let him rested on her bed. She gently rubbed his stomach as he groaned in pain.

"Boys are just so stupid. Especially, this one," Reina said.

"You… need to stop being so violent. Try to act like a girl for once," Hiro said.

"Hiro, speak one more word, I'm going to send you to heaven."

Kana sat up while hugging his stomach. The pain was still throbbing in his flesh.

"Ugh. What kind of human are you? Stop hurting innocent people!" he yelled.

"Back to you! Get off her bed and go back to work!" Reina demanded.

"You wanna fight?!"

"Oh? You're up for the challenge?"

Reina was preparing to give Kana another punch but Lillian held her back.

"**_You two try to get along. Don't fight anymore_**," Lillian note's said.

"Fine… But just for you, Lillian." Reina glared at Kana. "Why are you still sitting there?! It's almost night, Lillian need some rest, too!"

"Okay okay! What a monster you are," Kana mumbled. He smiled at the farmer and exited her house. "See you later."

Reina had to go to the barn and forced Nori away from Beef. She was almost like a large leech.

"Bye Beefy! I will see you tomorrow!" Nori waved. "Goodnight Lillian!"

"See yah tomorrow, Lil," Reina said as she dragged Nori and Hiro along.

After such an exciting and unexpected day, Lillian took a bath and fast to sleep.

* * *

Lillian walked nervously to Bluebell, afraid that she might met Cam again. She had finished all her chores after she woke up and she left Beef in Bacon's care. As soon as she reached Konoha's rival town, she ran to Jessica's shop hoping no one would see her.

"Oh! h-hello… Lillian… Why are you in such a rush today?" Jessica asked. She was still not used to having her rival hanging around her shop. It gave her such a nervous and anxious feeling.

The farmer bowed down and handed the shop owner a piece of paper.

"**_I forgot to buy some fodder for Beef yesterday. Can I buy twenty from you?_**" the note said.

"Sure. Give me a second." Jessica stacked twenty fodders in a gigantic bag and handed it to Lillian. "That would be a hundred and twenty Gold."

The farmer happily handed the money to Jessica and gave her a small note.

"Thank you!"

She began to drag the bag that was twice as big as her body outside. She searched from left to right and left the store excitedly. Good. No sight of that boy anywhere. Lillian let out a sigh of relieve and happily carried the bag back to Konoha. Unfortunately, she accidentally bumped into someone she was trying to avoid the most. Cam. He sent her his usual dead glare before speaking up.

"Why are you here? Were you deaf yesterday? I told you you're not welcome here," Cam stated.

Lillian's heart beat fast from the fear of this young man. She dropped the bag when her arms felt a little bit numb. How could he be so verbally mean to her? She got out her notepad but he slapped it out of her hand.

"You don't need to write. Just get out of here and don't come back," he demanded then walked away from her.

Lillian exhaled the terror that had been mixing with the air. What a scary person. She wished she wouldn't have to meet him again but that might not be possible. Since she was raising a livestock now, she would need to come back to Bluebell to buy some fodders. Beside, Lillian had a stubborn side of her. She would allow herself to disobey a person's warning if she was in a desperate situation. So of course, just for Beef's sake, Lillian needed to push Cam's words aside and continued to come to Bluebell for emergency needs.


	4. Chapter 4 Flower Day

The tenth day of Summer was the busiest day at the Cam's flower shop. Why? Because it was flower day in Bluebell. Customers would often come by to buy flowers for their love ones or their family members. That was a good thing but it also could be tiring to continuously wrapping different bouquets, to match the flower's language. That one morning, Cam was busy putting flowers together for Rutger, who secretly trying to order a love bouquet for his dearest wife, Rose. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Lillian skipping from place to place, like she was trying to hide from him. Cam handed the mayor the bouquet with a smile.

"Thank you, Cam. Here's two-hundred Gold," Rutger said.

"Thank you for coming!" Cam replied.

Right after Rutger left, Cam slammed his hand on the stand and twitched his eyes.

"She came again. Right after I warned her!" Cam muttered. He watched the girl walked into Jessica's shop with a dozen flowers in her hands. A few minutes later, she walked out with Jessica and Cheryl, both were smiling and holding a single flower in their hand.

"Thank you so much for the flower! I love it!" Jessica exclaimed.

"Normally, Ash and mommy are the only people who give me flowers on flower day! You're the first different person! Thank you big sis!" Cheryl cheered.

Lillian smiled at them and bowed. She hopped to Grady's shop and gave flowers to Grady and Georgia. A smile spread on their faces.

"Hey! Flowers please?" Ash interrupted. "No bouquets, just two flowers."

"Give me one-hundred Gold," Cam demanded.

"Flowers first."

"Whatever."

As Cam searched for flowers in his garden. Lillian came up to Ash and happily handed him a Red Magic flower tied with a baby blue ribbon.

"Oh. Thank you!" he replied. The girl smiled and left to Howard's Café.

Cam made a grimace as he stared at Lillian walked away from his shop.

"Ouch. She totally ignores you," Ash said.

"Whatever. Like I care about getting a flower from her," Cam replied. He handed his best friend two flowers with such an emotionless face.

"Here is you one-hundred gold. See yah later!"

"Bye."

Cam could hear the Howard's loud voice and Laney's whining from outside the shop.

"OOOOooooooooHHH what a beeeeeaaaauuutiiifuuullll flower! I love love love it! Thank you darling!" Howard squealed.

"Dad! She's from Konoha! We can't just accept a flower from our rival!" Laney protested.

"Oh honey, don't be like that! Even though she is from Konoha, she's our guest and our friend. Honestly, I'd rather make another friend than another enemy. Don't you think so, Laney?"

"What's your name, honey?" The grown man added.

There was a silence for a moment until the conversation began again.

"Oh? Is there something wrong with you voice? Do you want me to give you some medicines?" Howard asked.

A silence appeared once more before Howard cried out.

"OOOOOOOhhhhhhh poor girl! That is soooo sad! I'm sorry, I didn't know you were mute! You poor little thing!"

"Dad, she's just mute. Stop exaggerating thing like it's a big deal," Laney complained.

"But Laney! Lillian's situation is so sad! I think I'm going to cry!"

Before Cam could listen to the rest of their conversation, Grady came by to order his flowers, which kept Cam a bit busy. Lillian ran out of the café and to Eileen's workshop then to the town hall. Each time she exited the place, there would always be a smile on her face. Later in the after, she had officially given flowers to everyone except for the florist. He sat back in his chair and breathed from exhaustion. Cam looked up when he felt a small tap on his shoulder. That girl was standing in front of him.

"What do you want?" Cam barked.

She smiled as she handed him a rose with a yellow ribbon and a little note.

"**_You look tired today._**"

"Looking at you is more tiring," Cam replied.

Lillian puffed up her cheeks but managed another smile to Cam's rude comment. She handed him another piece of paper.

"**_This is the rose seed you sold to me. I took good care of it until it bloomed and decided to give it to you for Flower Day._**"

"Basically… it's a gift from me to me except I earned an extra one hundred and twenty Gold. Maybe I can earn more if I sell this," Cam replied with a smirk. He could see the anger slowly growing in her eyes. It amused him to make fun of girls.

Lillian shook her head and scribbled something on her notepad. She slammed the note on the stand with a frown. Cam's eyes followed the line of angry words written on the paper.

"**_No! It is not a gift from you to you! It is your gift from ME to you! You can't sell it because I put a lot of work and love into this flower! I promise you I am going to take good care of it so you have to treasure it until it last!_**"

Cam studied the girl from up and down. Her clothes were dirty and torn in some part. Her hair was sticking out of her pony tail and her face covered with some slight peck of dirt.

"Whatever. Like I care," Cam replied.

Lillian slammed her hands on the table and leaned toward Cam, so close that he almost flipped backward. Her face was half an inch away from his, revealing her light but bright blue eyes. She shook her head violently and grimaced. Her hand scribbled something on the paper.

"**_You can't! This flower is only for you!_**" the text was written.

Lillian frowned and retreated back to Konoha, without leaving another note to Cam. The florist couldn't help but feel a little bit of guilt for saying things he hadn't meant. However, it gave him a surprise to see the girl taking his statement so seriously. His mind suddenly debated itself whether he should let Lillian walked away or stopped her. Usually, he could careless about girls and their feelings but why did he have this heavy feeling in his chest after hurting that girl. He should be able to ignore it and move on. Yeah. Just ignore her and everything would be fine.

"H-hey! Wait!" Cam shouted.

What did he just gotten himself into? That was totally not Cam. It must be a devil trying to possess his body and forcing him to do stuff he did not want to!

Lillian turned around with a scowl. Cam gestured his hand for her to come over as he picked a Sunflower from his garden.

"Flower for you," Cam said as he shoved the yellow flower in front of the girl's face. Immediately, Lillian curved her lip into a broad smile and gladly accepted her gift.


	5. Chapter 5 Wild Chase

_**Author's Notes:** Thank you so much for continue reading! I really appreciate that! Anyways, there is a couple of notes I need to tell you. I did not choose to live in Konoha in the game so I don't know much about the house's setting. Please forgive me for that. Also, the ending moment is kind of cheesy. Hehehe. That's all. Favorite, follows, or review if you like it, (if only you want to) but it will make me very happy. Thank you!  
_

* * *

It was a Thursday afternoon, a few days after Flower Day. Cam was relaxing near the river in Bluebell Low-Main area, like he usually did on his day off. He stared at the fishes swimming happily in the water. The scene gave his mind a bit of peace. Suddenly, the bushes behind a couple of trees shook violently with the sound of dried leaves cracking. Cam slowly backed away from the area, afraid of something dangerous might happened. This was like déjà vu with that time when that girl popped out of nowhere holding a weak dog. As he had expected, Lillian burst out of the bushes with scratches all over her face. She breathed heavily, trying to take in as much air as she could.

"What are you doing here?" Cam questioned.

Lillian looked up at him with a frown. She immediately grabbed his hand and dragged him along. Cam was freaking out because a girl had just touched him. She held his hand so tight that it was impossible to escape. Behind them was a few loud stomping that repeated again and again. Cam turned his back to find a brown wild boar chasing after them.

"A wild boar?! How the heck did it even get here?!" The blonde boy exclaimed.

Why did he even bother to ask a mute girl during the chase? He felt slightly irritated that this Konoha girl had dragged him into a race with a wild board. It was always girls that gave him trouble. But she was the _worse_!

"Stupid! Stupid! You're so stupid! What kind of idiot enters a wild board area and get chase?" Cam cursed.

Lillian held onto his hand tighter and ran to Konoha Mid-Mountain, hoping that they could be further away from the wild animal. They hopped on the mini cliffs on the left side of the water fall and jumped on the orange mushroom, which led them to the right cliff.

"I-I think we lost the wild board…" Cam said, trying to inhale the oxygen.

Lillian nodded and sighed with relief. She pulled out her notepad to write down something for Cam.

"**_Sorry to get you in this mess. I accidentally encounter the boar in Konoha and it chases me all the way down to Bluebell. I ran into the bushes hoping that I can distract the boar but it didn't work. Then I found you._**"

"Whatever. I hope you stop being so stupid and careless next time!"

Lillian nodded. After a while, she heard a loud growl. She handed the boy next to her a note.

"**_You must be hungry aren't you? Your stomach is screaming!_**"

"That… wasn't my stomach," Cam whispered.

Both turned back in horror. A random black bear approached them with an angry look.

"How did a bear even got up here?! Konoha is a crazy place!" The boy exclaimed.

They backed up slowly away until they reached the edge of the cliff.

"Holy cow! That bear is getting closer! It's going to tear us apart!"

Lillian began writing but Cam slapped the notepad out of her hand.

"There's no time to write! You want to die early?!"

Cam exhaled and forced himself to stay calm. He looked at the large river running beneath the cliff.

"Do you think bear jump into river?"

Lillian shrugged her shoulder as she kept her focus on the bear.

"Well… it's do or die."

The farmer tilted her head to a side before the florist grabbed her waist and dived into the water. Gravity had pushed them a bit deeper into the river. Lillian opened her eyes, finding herself under water with Cam hugging her tightly. She could clearly see the fishes swam into their hiding places due to the sudden reaction of the water.

The teens gasped for air when they reached the surface. They looked up at the cliff for any sight of the large wild animal. Unfortunately, it poked its head out of the edge like it was planning to follow after.

"Please… don't tell me that bear is going to jump down after us!" Cam exclaimed. He quickly climbed up to the ground and pulled Lillian with him.

The farmer pointed to the path that led to Konoha. Cam shook his head in disapproval.

"No way! There's no way I'm going to Konoha with you!" He yelled.

Well, too bad for the florist, the girl did not listen so she pulled his arm and ran toward her house before the bear could chase after them.

Cam was utterly stressed out and irritated. Not only did he get chased by a wild board and a wild bear, but he also had jumped into a river with that girl. Now, he was spending time at her house in Konoha. Oh. Did he mention that he lost his purple hat along the way? This horrible event was the last thing he ever wanted to experience. Also, the dog that girl found had been barking and growling at him for awhile now. In all honesty, Cam was not fond of dogs that much because he thought they're too loud and energetic. That was why he preferred cats, which were more appealing.

"This is all your fault! Now I'm stuck here in Konoha with _you_. I get nothing but troubles ever since you arrive!" Cam exclaimed.

Lillian mouthed the word 'sorry' as she handed a clean towel to the young man. He frowned and backed a few steps away from her.

"No. I don't want it."

As stubborn as the farmer was, she denied Cam's refusal. How could she ignore the fact that both of them were wet like a dog after jumping into the water? It was true what he said. The whole running thing was all her fault. She needed to take responsibility and repaid her debt for him. First thing first, he needed to be dry before he caught a cold. Unfortunately, the boy refused to use the towel from a girl.

"I told you! I don't want it! Get away from me!" Cam exclaimed while he ran around the table that was set in the middle of her room.

Lillian was slowly getting frustrated with the florist running away from her. If he was going to continue this any longer, he would be sure to get sick. She didn't want that. Of course, she had to do what she needed to do. Climbed over the table. Yes. Though, right after she jumped on the table, Cam ran toward the door. Luckily, Lillian was able to jump on his back at the most accurate time.

"H-HEY! What are you doing?! This is rape!" The boy yelled. He stumbled backward aimlessly toward the corner, the opposite side of the kitchen.

"Get off! You're heavy!"

Like Cam requested, Lillian jumped off. However, she did not give up on getting him dry. He scooted backward as she tried to get the towel on him.

"I'm reporting you for harassing an innocent young man!"

Cam took one more step backward then slipped on a puddle of water. The fall was unexpected so Lillian fell on him, too. Thanks the Harvest Goddess, They did not land on the floor but on the soft bed. At that moment, the door slammed opened, entered Reina and Hiro.

"Lillian! I heard noises when I walk by—" Reina yelled and paused. "Here…"

"Wait a minute… the bed… and the position! You know what this mean?! They're—_doing it_… except the girl is on the top and the boy—" Hiro stated but Reina cut his sentence off with her loud shriek.

"Y-you're that florist from Bluebell, Cam! A-and t-that position! You know what this mean?!" Reina exclaimed.

"Yes I do! Lillian is actually a guy while Cam is actually a girl!" Hiro stated.

Reina gave him a good punch in the face and scowled.

"Stop with your stupidity! It's making me sick!"

She turned back to the other two that had already separated away from each other. She glowered at the poor Cam, who was a mixture of being irritated and angry. Let's replayed the whole afternoon again, not only had he gotten chased by scary wild animals but he was also being harassed by the farmer girl. Now, two Konoha villagers had just saw him in a strange position with a girl. Nothing could get any worse than that!

"You! Flower boy! What have you done to my poor Lillian?! Are you trying to dirty her innocent mind?!" Reina questioned him with anger.

"H-hey! Don't put the blame on me! She was the one who harassed me!" Cam replied.

"Oooohh you did not just blame her for your mistakes!"

The botanist was about to charged him but Hiro stopped her from behind.

"Stop! I think it's just a coincidence!"

"Don't you stop me Hiro! I'm about to give him a good lesson not to mess with my dear friend!"

Lillian began to panic. What had she done? First, she dragged the florist into a wild chase with a wild boar. Second, he somehow ended up saving her by jumping into the river. And now, she put him in a danger situation with the strongest girl in Konoha, Reina. How could Lillian possibly make up with the florist after this?!


	6. Chapter 6 A Symptom

Reina observed the farmer carefully from head to toe. She was staring with horror in her eyes at the sight. The poor girl's face was covered with scratches and her sleeves had a few holes to the point where her skins were exposed. Her dirty clothes and messy hair were soaking wet, too! Reina shrieked once more.

"T-those scratches on Lillian's face. Those tears on her clothes… You, flower boy! H-have you been abusing my poor girl?! A-and did you tried to drown her, as well?! A-and then harass her?!" The botanist assumed.

"Reina, stop with the exaggerations. You're overreacting with just a misunderstanding," Hiro replied.

"W-what do you know?! What if it's true?! Lillian must have had a hard time!"

Lillian ran through the storage in search for her extra notepad. She quickly wrote down her thought and gave it to her friends.

"**_Please don't hurt him. I can explain!_**"

Reina inhaled and exhaled.

"Okay," She replied calmly.

"**_We were chased by wild board and he saved me. I was trying to dry him up with a towel but he refused so I ended up chasing him around. Then we slipped on a puddle of water and fell onto the bed._**"

"Alright… If that's what happened, I won't question or blame him any farther."

Lillian let out a sigh of relief. She turned to Cam and smiled.

"**_Thank you for bearing with me. I'll escort you home after you dry up._**" She handed him a note.

"No thanks. I don't need you," Cam replied.

"Look, flower boy, the mountain is full of dangerous animals such as wild boars and wild bears. If you encounter one of them, you might need to give their favorite food to tame them. However, with you being just a regular florist, you don't carry those animals' favorite fruit or vegetable. You're lucky to be able to escape this time but might not be the next. You do need Lillian since she had the necessary crop to tame the animals. I suggest you to let her dry you up and escort you to Bluebell or you won't make it back alive or in one piece, if you're unlucky, though," Reina interrupted. She crossed her arms to her chest and stared at the florist with a stern expression.

What the botanist said was true. Cam knew that wild animals were everywhere in Bluebell and Konoha. Anyone could have encountered them at an unpredictable time. He sighed and nodded.

"F-fine. Do whatever you want," He replied.

Lillian smiled and ruffled his hair with her towel. She was relieved that the boy had finally become obedient, thanks to her Konoha friends.

"So, Lillian, you have any tomatoes? You will need that to tame most wild animals," Hiro asked.

The farmer nodded with a smile.

"If you do, why didn't you bring some in the first place?" Cam added.

The mute girl scratched the back of her head. She handed him a note with an awkward smile.

"**_I totally forgot._**"

"You're stupid and careless."

* * *

Cam walked away from the group of Konoha friends as soon as they reached Bluebell.

"Hey flower boy!" Reina called. She gestured her chin in Lillian's direction. "What do you say?"

"Right, thanks."

When the florist finally disappeared from their sight, Reina tackled the farmer with a hug.

"Ohhhh I'm so glad you're okay! He didn't do anything to you and forced you to hide it did he?!

Lillian smiled and shook her head.

"You're not lying right? If he really did it, just tell me. I'll give him a good punch in the neck!"

Hiro pulled the farmer away and put his arm around her. He then walked with her at a medium pace back to Konoha.

"Lillian, Reina is a crazy monster, don't be around her too much or you—" He said but the botanist gave him a flying kick onto his back.

"Shut up, Hiro! Don't you dare lay your dirty hands on Lillian!"

"**_We should help Hiro. He's hurt!_**" Lillian handed Reina the note.

"He's fine. Just leave him there."

"**_The sky is getting dark, leaving him out here is dangerous._**"

The farmer immediately helped the young man up but Reina stopped her.

"I—I'll carry him back. You don't have to do it."

The botanist let her injured male friend on her back and began marching her way to Konoha. Lillian smiled and followed after her friends.

* * *

The next morning after finishing her daily routines, Lillian jogged down the path to Bluebell in searching for Cam's purple hat. She searched high and low in the Konoha area, even swimming in the river, but it was yet to be found. Well, not until the farmer spotted a purple fabric hanging on a tree branch in Bluebell Low-Mountain. That was the place that she bumped into the florist and dragged him into a chase. She pulled up her sleeve and set her satchel down on the ground. _Okay, let's do this!_ She thought. After taking a lot of efforts into climbing the tree, she finally got a grip of the purple, plaid hat that Cam always wore.

"Hey, monkey! What are you doing here?"

Lillian was startled when a sudden male voice called out to her. She lost her grasp and fell down to the ground. The hard ground smashed against her body, creating an enormous pain on her side. A young man with blonde hair in his purple vest stood before the farmer. His hands in his pockets and a sneer crossed his face.

"Girls like you are very stupid," Cam said.

Just the person Lillian wanted to see. She hurriedly got up on her feet and showed the florist his hat with a smile.

"Oh. My hat that I lost yesterday… I-it wasn't that important anyways!"

The girl smiled then placed the purple hat neatly on his head. She grabbed the notepad from her satchel and began writing her thought.

"**_You look cute with it._**"

Cam felt the heat running up his ears. The pumping organ on the left side of his chest began to beat so rapidly like never before. What was this feeling storing in his stomach? For nineteen years of his life, he had not experience this feeling before, especially with a girl. Not too long before Cam was cautious of what could be happening to him. It couldn't be! The flushed cheeks, the beating heart, and the nervous yet exciting twist in his stomach could be the symptoms of a what so called 'love'. No way! The thought of having a crush on anyone, no matter what gender, had never crossed his mind, not even once. Surely, he had planned out his future; having enough savings from selling flowers to buy a decent house and live with cats. That was all.

Lillian studied the florist's face as he lost deeply into his thoughts. She poked his shoulder until he snapped back to reality.

"H-huh? W-what?" Cam stuttered.

"**_Are you okay? Your face is red._**"

"I'm fine. Go away."

The boy pulled his hat over his face as he turned back to Bluebell, leaving the farmer in confusion. _Maybe he's sick and don't want to be in the sun_, she thought. She shrugged her shoulder and headed back to her farm.

* * *

**_Author's Notes: _**_This story is not trying to make fun or go against homosexual._


	7. Chapter 7 I'm Sorry, Bacon

The trees had already changed their colors from green to red and orange. The heat was also getting cooler, too. It was the last day of Summer and the season was changing to Fall. Lillian had already harvested all of her crops and saved up money for new seeds tomorrow. She couldn't wait to experience the new changes in the village; growing new vegetables and flowers, catching new fishes and critters, attending new festivals, and feeling a cooler heat. Everything just sounded so great until the night came along.

There were several knockings—no, several heavy pounding against the door. Lillian's heart raced from the noises. She felt something bad was definitely coming. She opened the door in shock. Someone unexpected had shown up in front of her house. Her father. He reeked with a strong smell of alcohol. He wore a dirty, plain gray jacket and a torn blue jean. In his hand was an empty glass bottle. Fears grew stronger in Lillian's chest as she met her father's eyes.

"So… this is where you live, huh?" he slurred.

The man barged in the house and pushed his daughter aside. Bacon, the dog, began to growl and bark at the stranger. Lillian hurriedly handed her father a note of what she wanted to say. Instead of reading the simple sentence on the paper, he slapped her hand away. Her father searched aimlessly around the room, pushing everything out of his way.

"Where did you keep all of your money?! I'm running empty here!" He yelled as he slammed his hands on the table.

Bacon barked, trying to protect his owner. He bit the stranger's leg and pulled on his jean.

"You stupid dog! Get out of my way!" The man yelled as he kicked the dog away, sending the poor creature flying in the air and smacked its body against the wall with a powerful force.

Lillian stared at her precious Bacon in shock. She ran to him and hugged his fragile, little body. He let out a couple of whine before he stopped moving. The farmer quickly dug through her storage in search for her savings. She handed the money to her father with a small note.

"**_Here's all of my money. Please leave._**"

"Ten thousands Gold? That's all you can earn from farming?! What have you been doing, you worthless piece of trash?!" The man shouted. He kicked his daughter to the ground but was still not satisfy with her punishment. "You're hiding more money from me aren't you?! You selfish daughter!"

The father rose the glass bottle in his hand and smacked the girl until it broke. On the other hand, Lillian endured the great pain while protecting the body of her poor dog. She had given her father all of the money but he didn't believe her. What else could she do to make him leave this place? If he stayed here any longer, she feared that he might harm other innocent villagers, too.

"You are stupid, useless, dumb, ugly, worthless, and unwanted daughter! Your mother should have aborted you! All because of you, my wife and Phillip had died! This is what you made me become! It is all your fault! No one loves you!" He put his foot on his daughter's cheek and pressed it several times against the wooden floor. "Are you trying to scream? Is it nice being mute? Are you pretending to be mute? Talk, you can talk. Tell me where the money is, I'll forgive you."

Lillian couldn't take it anymore. She forced herself to stand up to escape her father's torture. She clasped her hands together and bowed to her father for forgiveness. Not too soon until she realized that there was blood on the floor. Red liquid soaked into her sleeves and Bacon's fur.

The farmer grabbed the notepad to write down something for her father.

"**_I'll get your money. Please stay here!_**" Luckily, the man read the note this time.

"Hurry up then, you ugly creature!"

The girl nodded as she dashed out of the house with the dog in her arms. She ran straight to the town hall, hoping that Ina would be willing to help her.

The Konoha mayor opened the door in horror. There stood a teenage girl with bruises covered her body. Her Konoha outfit had plenty of holes that exposed the cuts on her skins. Her little dog lay motionlessly in her arms.

"Oh my Harvest Goddess! Lillian, What happened to you?!" Ina exclaimed. She invited the girl into the town hall and had her relax on the chair. "Here's a notebook and a pencil, you have to tell me how you got those bruises!"

"**_I fell down from a very tall tree and bruised myself_**." The farmer created a small smile.

"Is that so? Be careful next time, okay?"

Honestly, Ina was not convinced with Lillian's statement. She knew that there was more than just falling from a tree to get those bruises. However, she decided not to question the girl any further. The mayor sighed and patted the farmer's back.

"Lillian, dear, don't be afraid of telling me things that are troubling you, okay? Every single resident in Konoha are my family, including you. They're your family. We're a family. So please, you can tell us anything and we'll solve the problem together."

Lillian nodded. She couldn't help but felt guilty that she had lied to Ina. It was not like she wanted to. She feared that she would drag the village into a big mess. They might get hurt because of her.

"Anyways, is there something you wanted? I can help you," Ina said.

"**_Can I borrow 50,000 G? Please, I will pay you back the exact amount as soon as I can! I promise_**_._"

Ina widened her eyes. That was a huge amount of money the farmer was asking for. What would she spend the money for?

"T-that a lot of money. Is there any reason why you're asking for so much?" the mayor asked.

Lillian's eyes began to fill with tears. She hugged the dog tight as she fell down to her knee, begging Ina to accept the request.

"Okay, okay. It's okay if you don't want to tell me. I didn't say no to you so you don't have to get down on your knee! I'll go get the money so wait here."

After Ina handed the amount of money was requested, Lillian mouthed 'thank you' several times as she bowed to the lady again and again.

* * *

"Ah! That's more like it! I knew you were hiding the money from me!" The man said. He held the sag of money with a big grin on his face.

Lillian sat on the corner of her bed, shaking with fears. The figure of the drunk man finally disappeared from her sight. Not too soon after he left, she stumbled to the ground near the ranch. She dug her hand into the dirt and created a hole big enough for Bacon. A cold breeze blew on her face. The gray clouds began to cover up the sky, hiding the moon and the stars. Few drops of water fell onto her skin.

_I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry_, Lillian repeated in her head_, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. It was all my fault! I was too weak that you had to stand up for me. I'm sorry! I'm sorry… you never get to hear me call your name. I'm sorry, Bacon._ The sky began to pour down the rain, yet the farmer refused to leave the spot. She could only sit beside her dog's grave and blend in her tears with the cold water from the sky.


	8. Chapter 8 Upcoming Festival

Lillian found herself waking up on the ground with a sore body. Her clothes were still wet from the yesterday's rain but the blood stain had already washed off. Though, the holes on her outfit exposed purple bruises on her flesh. She felt her heart broken into pieces after finding Bacon nowhere in the house. She immediately changed into her casual outfit that Nori gave her as a random gift, since her clothes took in too many damages. She then ran to mountaintop to get the anxiety off her mind.

"Lillian! Do you want to have breakfast at Yun with us?" a female voice called outside the farmer's house.

There was no answer for a while.

"Lillian? Are you in there?" Nori's voice asked as she knocked on the door.

"Hey, check out this spot on her farm, it looks like she buried something here," Kana said. He scanned around her front yard, something was definitely missing. Something made this place felt empty. "Doesn't this place feel empty?"

"The ranch, Beef is not outside, yet," Hiro said.

"You're right… Bacon would usually watch over Beef at this time of the day."

"You know how weird that sounds?"

"Something's wrong here. Lillian is not answering the door, either," Nori joined.

At this point, the girls began to panic, afraid that something might have happened to their poor farmer friends. Reina knocked again but no reply. She twisted the door knob and discovered that it was unlock. The friends entered the house to find the house was in a complete total mess. Pieces of broken glass scattered on the floor. Books were randomly lying on the ground. Her furniture were askew.

"S-she's not here…" Reina said.

"This place is a total mess. What happen..?" Nori added.

"Everyone! We got to looking for Lillian! Hurry!"

With that, the teens spread in different directions in search for their friends. They were afraid that something bad might have caused that disaster in her house. What if she was in danger?

* * *

It was the first morning of fall, Lillian had been excitedly hoping for this moment but it seemed like that exuberance died down. Now, she had no money left to buy seeds and she was now in a huge debt with the Konoha mayor. The girl let out a huge sigh and let her back fall onto the grass. She leaned over on her side to stare at the beautiful goddess's pond. The water had a sparkling blue color but it looked clear at the same time. It was beautiful as the sunlight reflected upon the pond. _Tell me Harvest Goddess_, Lillian thought, _will my life get any better?_

Just a moment later, an enchanted melody floated in the air. Lillian couldn't help but get fascinated by each delightful note. She hid behind the large bushes and watched a young man playing his violin by the mountain summit. He wore a long, brown coat. His hair was a strange but a fascinating color of gray and white. He looked like he was in his own little world as he created his music. Lillian wasn't exactly satisfied with the distance between her and the pretty boy. She tried to silently push herself a little closer, but still behind the bush. Unfortunately, her feet suddenly lost balance so she fell over the bushes. The melody stopped. The boy was staring at her with a kind smile on his face.

"Are you okay pretty lady?" The young man asked as he held his hand out. Lillian nodded and accepted his hand. "My name is Mikhail. I'm a violinist."

He frowned as he observed the purple bruise on her left cheek and the red wound on the side of her forehead.

"Did something bad happen?" Mikhail asked with concern.

Lillian frowned and gazed at her feet. This young man must be thinking how ugly she was by now. Who wouldn't? Her face looked like she just got out of a fight. She regretted for being so curious that she accidentally fell out of the bushes. She should have just stayed hidden.

"Please don't frown. You're still beautiful but more beautiful with a smile," Mikhail said as he placed his index fingers on the corners of Lillian's mouth to create a smile. She couldn't help but laugh this time.

"There you go, don't lose that smile. So, what's your name?"

The farmer blushed at how charming the young man looked. He even made her forgot that she was mute. She nearly spoke to him but no voice came out. She frowned again.

"It's okay if you can't talk. I won't dislike you for that," Mikhail said, smiling.

His words brought a smile back to Lillian's face. She couldn't help but feel so at ease to talk to him.

"Well, I guess I'll be the one to talk then."

The farmer shook her head. She looked around the ground and found a thin branch. She traced the tip of the stick onto the dirt to form a few words.

"**_My name is Lillian._**"

"Lillian? That's a wonderful name!"

"_**Thank you**_." Lillian erased the words with her foot and rewrote it again. "**_I haven't seen you around before_**."

"Oh, it's too hot in the twin town during summer so I leave for somewhere cooler. I return to Bluebell by sixth of fall to prepare for a music festival. But this year, I return earlier since I have nothing to do," Mikhail answered with a smile.

"**_A music festival?_**"

"Yeah. I'll be performing some pieces of music with my violin. Which reminds me, are you coming to watch me?"

"**_But I'm from Konoha_**."

"This year music festival will be a little bit different. Which mean Bluebell and Konoha are attending as well."

Just then, Reina popped out and tackled Lillian. Nori and the other two boys were there, too.

"Lillian! What happened to your face?" The botanist asked. She glared at Mikhail. "Did you do this to her?"

"O-of course not! I would never try to hurt her!"

"Here's your notepad and pencil. Tell me what happen, Lillian."

"**_Mikhail didn't do anything to me. I carelessly fell down a tree and hurt myself_**."

"Oh… Please don't do anything reckless like that! I was worried sick when your house was a mess!"

"Hey, aren't you the Bluebell violinist, Mikhail?" Hiro cut in.

"Oh yeah! We're having a big music festival this tenth of fall on the mountaintop!" Nori added.

"Yup, I heard residents of Echo Village are attending this music festival as well," Kana joined.

Nori held Lillian's and Reina's hand and spun around in circle. She smiled happily.

"I just can't wait to go! We're going to listen, dance, and sing to the music! This is going to be the best festival of all!"

Lillian was overcome with joy as Nori. She laughed, watching her friends danced excitedly.

"So, Lillian, will you attend this music festival?" Mikhail asked.

The farmer nodded her head. Of course she would attend. There was no way she would miss such a huge event.

"Can't wait to meet those hot girls from Echo Village!" Kana exclaimed.

"There are going to be some cute boys, too," Nori added.

"W-wait! C-cute boys?" Hiro asked as he pulled Reina to him.

"Yup!"

"Those boys better stay away from my Reina or I'll have to show them this face to show them who is the boss!"

Kana made a pstt sound with his lips.

"Oh please, all your face can do is scare them away," He teased.

"Good! So they'll never get a chance to touch my—" Hiro exclaimed by Reina gave him a good kick on the back.

"Who said I was yours?!"

"Owww…"

The friends laughed together at the silliness. Lillian once again felt so grateful to meet people like them. They cared so much for her and they could always put a smile on her face. This upcoming music festival would so much joys and laughter.


	9. Chapter 9 Not As Bad

That night of the first fall, the Konoha friends returned to their house except for Reina, who decided to stay behind at the farmer's house. She crossed her arms to her chest and stared at her friend.

"Okay, what's up, spill it," Reina demanded.

Lillian tilted her head, acting as if she didn't know what the botanist was talking about. In all honesty, she knew where the conversation was going to.

"Your excuse might get through others but not me. There is no way you can bruise yourself that badly from falling off a tree. It also didn't explain how your house was such a big mess. I figure something bad was happening to you since this morning. So tell me, who hurt you this badly?"

Lillian felt her chest getting heavier every second that passed by. Her heart sunk trying to recall the memories of yesterday, how terrified and scared she was. She remembered the fear and the pain as the dangerous man abused her and the desperation to scream when the broken glass presses against her skin. The farmer frowned, knowing that her botanist friend would break out in horror then became more overprotective than she ever was.

"**_I'm sorry I can't tell you but I promise you that I'm fine._**"

Reina sighed then smiled.

"Fine, if you say so. However, you better tell me about it when this happens to you the second time! Or else I'll make you eat Hiro's cooking!" she replied.

Lillian nodded gratefully. A bright smile spread on her lips.

"Alright. I'll help you clean up this messy room."

"**_Thank you._**"

* * *

On the next day, Lillian spent her afternoon in Howard's Café shop. She watched the blonde girl happily pushed her unbaked cherry pie in the oven.

"So, Lillian, how are you doing in Konoha?" Laney asked as she wiped her hand on her apron.

The farmer wrote a big "Great!" on her notepad and lifted it in the air.

"I'm glad you like it."

Laney settled herself next to Lillian and smiled mysteriously.

"So? Have you found any cute guy to fall for yet?" The baker asked.

Lillian felt her cheeks burning out of embarrassment. She shook her head.

"Oh? Is that gossips I heard? Tell me, I want to know!" Howard interrupted.

"C'mon, Lilli, you're face is red! That must mean something, right?"

At the same time, Cam entered the shop and took a seat far from the girls.

"Oh! Cam! Good timing, come sit with us. We're trying to get Lillian to spill out who she likes!" Laney said.

"No way I'm sitting near you two. I'm not interested in your stupid gossips," The florist replied.

"Funny. Do you think you have a choice and can easily ignore my demand like that?"

"W-what— Don't touch me!" The boy screamed as soon as Laney forcefully dragged him toward Lillian's table.

"Shut up! You're acting like a little boy afraid of cooties."

"This is abusive!"

The baker rolled her eyes then settled herself back to her seat. Howard smiled at the silly children then cast his gaze on the gray sky.

"My, my, the weather changed quickly," he said. "It looks like it's going to rain very soon."

The leaves on the trees began to sway softly aside and then heavily. Even the branches began to bend. The gray clouds blocked the sun completely, creating a dark sky. The rain pounded on the roof as thunder roar from the distance.

"It's a blizzard!" Laney shouted. "We gotta close the shop!"

Cam immediately shut the front door. He watched the blonde girl hugged Lillian like she was a teddy bear.

"Lillian, the weather is going to last until morning, maybe you should sleep here tonight with Laney," Howard suggested.

The farmer shook her head violently. She remembered Beef was still outside the barn. The poor calf must be scare and cold right now.

"**_I left Beef out this morning. I need to get him safely inside the barn!_**"

"Don't you have a dog to help you with that?" Cam asked. He widened his eyes when the girl shook her head.

Lillian dashed to the door but Howard stopped her.

"It's too dangerous for you, sweetheart. Maybe you should have Cam come with you," he suggested.

"What? I'm not going out there with that mute girl!" the florist protested.

"Cam! Don't be such a jerk! She'll get hurt if she goes to Konoha alone."

"I don't care. That's her fault then!"

Laney pushed the young man aside and stood before her father.

"Maybe we should get Ash to go with her," she suggested. "Or Mikhail. I think he will be willing to help."

The name Mikhail increased Lillian's heartbeats. She smiled softly and handed the café owner a note.

"**_Thank you for worrying. I will be fine_**."

And with that, she ran out of the shop and headed toward her house. Howard glowered at the young man then he let out a big sigh.

"What a big cold black heart Cam had! Now a young girl will get hurt all because he didn't want to come with her. MY MY MY!"

"No no, Cam is heartless. There is completely no heart beating in that human body of his," Laney said mockingly. "Now the girl is all out there alone."

The blonde boy slammed his hands on the table as he yelled, "Fine! I'll go!" He tightened his purple hat on his head and took off.

Luckily, he had caught up with Lillian at the Bluebell Low-mountain. The strong wind would push her to the ground several times yet she always managed to get herself up. Her hair, clothes, and boots were covered with mud. As they reached Konoha High-Mountain, the farmer fell to the ground with no strength to get back up. Her legs had given up on her.

"Hey! Are you okay?!" Cam yelled from the behind. He ran over to the girl and let her back rested on his arm. She smiled and nodded her head.

"Why did I even ask you that question? You're not okay so don't lie."

The boy let out a huge sigh as he bend down with his back faced toward her.

"Get on my back, I'll give you a piggy ride."

Lillian did as she was told. A faint sweet flower fragrance from his shirt tingling in her nose as she rested her cheek on his shoulder. Despite the cold blizzard, she felt warm being with Cam. Maybe he wasn't that bad of a person as she thought he was.


End file.
